Pistol simulating cigar and cigarette lighter



July 4, 1950 l.. A. GENDLER 2,513,717

PISTOL SIMULATING CIGAR AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed Feb. 14, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tik@ FIG'. 1.

INVENTOR fw/s A. (rf/VDLER ATTORNEY July 4, 1950 l.. A. GENDLER PIs'roL SIMULATING CIGAR AND cmARETTE LIGHTER Filed Feb. 14. 195o 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

FIG. 3.

INVENTOR [.5 w15 A. GE/vo/ R ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1950 PISTOL SIMULATING CIGAII. AND i' CIGARETTE LIGHTER Lewis A. Gcndler, Brooklyn, N. Y.. signor to Gunlite Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 14, 195o, sei-m No. 144.113 s claims. (ci. s1-7.1)

This invention relates to automatic igniters and to cigar and cigarette lighters and more particularly to igniters of the type employing a pyrophoric sparking medium which when subjected to friction gives otr sparks which pass to a suitable combustible substance adapted to sustain a ilame; though it is noted that in some of the claims the invention is not limited to sparking devices nor even to cigarette or cigar lighters.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved device or apparatus of this kind which is very artistic in appearance and convenient to handle and carry.

Other objects are to provide a lighter wherein it is easy to replace parts requiring replacement and easy to replenish the fuel.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved device of this kind which simulates an automatic pistol and is operated by pulling a trigger.

Additional objects of the invention are to e!- fect simplicity and eflcency in such lighters and apparatus and to provide an extremely simple, rugged and strong device of this kind which is eil'cient, reliable and durable in operation and economical to manufacture.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described in the specilication and some. of the claims, the invention as described in the broader claims is not limited to these, and many and various changes may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with an automatic igniter or lighter which brielly stated, includes a hollow body simulating a pistol and having a cut-out at its rear upper part below which is disposed a reservoir having an upper tubular wick holder. A holder plate secured in said handle from side to side has an opening receiving the wick holder and has upper and lower openings at the rear of the reservoir receiving a flint tube carrying a iiint. A shaft across the body carries a spark Wheel pressing on the ilint and having ratchet teeth engaged by a ratchet spring mounted in an elongated extinguisher in said cut-out of the body and having side openings receiving said shaft. A spring urges the extinguisher upwardly when released by a trigger fulcrumed in and projecting from said body and having yan upper hook hold ing a catch pin in the extinguisher.

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. partly in elevation, showing the lighter in normal position;

Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively plan and front end elevation of the lighter:

Fig. 4 shows a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction oi the arrows of said line; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmental transverse vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing the sparking wheel mounting, the section being taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow of said line.

The improved pistol simulating cigarette and cigar lighter comprises a body l0 of sheet steel or other suitable metal or material consisting of two halves welded together and shaped to form a barrel I I and the sides I2 and front I3 and rear I4 of the handle I5 to simulate an automatic pistol, the body having a cut-out as at I6 over the interior of the handle to the rear of the upper part of the barrel. Herein when it is stated that parts are welded together it is understood that the parts may be integral, welded or otherwise suitably secured together. A barrel top I8 having a rounded top part I9 and vertical sides 20 removably disposed over the top and sides of the barrel, slightly projects at the front and rear ends 2| 22 and has gun sight simulating projections 23 upwardly pressedat opposite ends of the barrel. The barrel top also has a cut-out 26 substantially registered with the cut-out of the body. A back plate 2l disposed across the body at the rear of the body above the handle is welded in the projecting rear end 22 of the barrel top and is provided at its upper part with a threaded opening 29 receiving a screw 30 engaging under the rear part of the upper wall of the body for releasably holding the rear part of the barrel top in place.

A nose, plate 32 welded within'the projecting front end 2l of the barrel top and disposed against the front end of the barrel is provided with an outwardly flanged opening 33 coaxial with the barrel and simulating the end of a pistol barrel, and a threaded aperture 34 below the opening. A trigger guard 35 having a lower rear downturned end 36 secured in a slot 31 in the lower part of the front of the handle has an upturned front end 38 secured in a recess in the lower part of the front end of the barrel and having an aperture 3! registered with the aperture of the nose lplate. A screw 40 in said apertures detachably holds the nose plate on the guard 35 thereby holding the barrel top in place. Butt plates 4| (Figs. 3 and 4) of plastic or other suitable material are secured on each side of the handle and provided with upper and lower openings receiving screws 42 securing the plates to the handle to enhance the simulation of the automatic pistol.

A reservoir bottom 45 secured across the bottom of the handle and having a large inwardly flanged internally threaded opening 46 under the forward part of the cut-outs I6 and 26 and a smaller opening 41 under the rear part of said cut-outs supports a reservoir 48 beneath said cut-outs having a top wall 49 having an opening 50 therein, and side walls 5| secured liquid tight to the top wall and the reservoir bottom 45. A tubular wick holder 52 carrying the wick 52a has a lower reduced diameter end 53 riveted in a washer 54 or otherwise secured liquid tight in said opening 50 of the reservoirtop and has an upper reduced end 55 forming an intermediate rounded shoulder 56. A removable closure screw 58 for the reservoir having a large flat outer head has a screw body 59 engageable with the threads of the flanged opening 46 and provided with an inner recess 60 into which a spare flint 6| may be stored. A gasket 62 around the screw between the head and the reservoir bottom is' pressed by the head into liquid tight engagement with the bottom 45 to close the reservoir.

A holder plate 65 extending from side-to-side of the handle and welded in the handle is provided over the reservoir with an upper approximately horizontal part 66 having an opening 61 received on the wick holder. The rear part of said horizontal part is folded upon itself to form a, rear projection 68 at the upper part of the reservoir provided with an upper opening 69. The upright part of the holder plate is welded or otherwise secured against the rear face of the reservoir and has near the bottom of the handle a rearwardly turned ear 1| having a large openlng 12 under said upper opening, said openings 69 and 12 receiving a flint tube 13' secured therein and extending nearly as high as the wick holder l and nearly to said bottom plate.

A shaft 14 rotatively mounted in the upper part of the sides of the body above the flint tube and abutting the sides of the barrel top carries thereon a friction or spark wheel 15 over the flint tube and having a roughened periphery 16 and on one side, ratchet teeth 11, having abrupt shoulders 18 so positioned that when a tooth is at the upper part of the wheel the shoulder faces forwardly. Collars 19 hold the wheel centered on the shaft over the int tube. A int 80 in the tube pressing against the periphery of the wheel is pressed upwardly by a spring tip 8| of cylindrical shape slidable in the tube and having a lower reduced diameter portion 82 in which is received a helical compression spring 83 compressed between said tip and a screw 84 removably received in threads 85 in the lower part of the int tube and having an upper reduced diameter portion 86 receiving the spring, said screw having a lower at head 81 engaged against the lower face of the bottom plate 45, said spring serving for yieldably pressing the flint aganist the sparking wheel.

An extinguisher 90 comprising a cover plate of sheet material is disposed in. said cut-out of the body and has an upper rounded part 9| forming a substantial continuation of the upper part of the barrel of the body, and downturned sides 92 having openings 94 rotatively receiving said shaft.

Said upper part and sides have outwardly pressed .parts 95, 96 simulating parts on a pistol. The extinguisher plate has a downturned rear end part 91 having a perforation 98 therein in which is secured a tension spring 99 having its lower end secured in a perforation 99' in said ear 1| of the holder plate, whereby the extinguisher plate,

when released as will be explained, may be quickly raised to upright position against the end face |00 of the cut-out of the barrel top, as shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 1.

A trigger lever |04 intermediately fulcrumed on a trigger shaft |05 below the front end of the cut-outs I6 and :26 has a downwardly and forwardly inclined trigger |06 projecting through a trigger slot |01 in the body and engageable with the forward end |08 of the slot to limit the forward movement of the lower end and to position the upper end influenced by a helical spring |09 tensioned between the trigger lever below the shaft and an anchor pin ||0 on the forward upper part of the side of the body tol draw the lower arm of the lever against the end of the slot. The upper end of the trigger lever has a rearwardly pointing hook a recess ||2 below the hook, and a cam ||3 extending upwardly and forwardly from the point of the hook; and when the trigger engages the forward end |08 of the trigger slot said cam ||3 is in position to be engaged and pushed forward as the extinguisher is closed by a catch pin ||4 mounted across the extinguisher, to allow the catch pin to automatically snap into said recess ||2 under the hook, whereby the extinguisher may be releasably held closed against the action of said tension spring 99 or on pulling the trigger may be quickly moved by the spring 99 to an upright position against the rear end |00 of the cut-away of the top.

A ratchet spring I5 of strip spring metal having one end ||6 mounted fast on the inner face of the lower part of the forward end of one side of the extinguisher, has its other end perforated and received on the spark wheel shaft, and pro-- vided with a part ||1 inwardly turned to engage the shoulder 18 at upper part of an upper ratchet tooth of the wheel, whereby when the trigger is pulled to release the extinguisher from closed position under the action of the tension spring 99 the extinguisher will ily to upper position and cause the ratchet spring to engage an upper ratchet tooth and cause the lower part of the wheel to move quickly forwardly and throw sparks from the int to the wick to ignite the wick. A snuffer spring |20 having its rear end |2| secured by a rivet |22 to the rear part of the inner face of the upper part of the extinguisher has its forward end portion |23 downwardly olf-set and provided with an opening |24 receiving and holding therein an upper headed stem |25 of an inverted cup-shaped snuffer |26 fitted over said wick holder, against said shoulder 56, whereby when the extinguisher is closed to cause the pin ||6 to catch on the hook the snuffer is placed over the tubular wick holder and the wick to extinguish the wick. When the extinguisher is moved to upright position the damper is removed to allow a spark from the flint to reach the wick.

The parts of the herein lighter may be made of any suitable material. Various parts may be made of steel, other metal, plastic or other material. Without limiting to any particular material it may .be stated that it has been found satisfactory to make parts I0, I8, 21, 32, 35, 45,

the trigger |06 pulled, releasing the hook from the catch pin H4, allowing the extinguisher 90 to y up under theinuence of the spring 99 to the position of the dotted lines 0f Fig. 1, thus removing the damper |26'from the wick 52a and wick holder 52. At the same time, the ratchet spring pushing on a ratchet tooth '|l quickly rotates backwardly the sparking wheel a fth of a rotation, thus throwing sparks from the flint 80 to the wick, .igniting the wick and causing it to flame for lighting a. cigarette or the like, after which the extinguisher 9|) is closed to cause the catch pin H4 to push back the cam ||3 and be engaged in the recess ||2 under the influence of the spring |09, thus holding the extinguisher closed and the snuffer on the Wick holder, extinguishing the wick and leaving the lighter ready for use again. During this return movement, the friction o1' the flint on the wheel prevents retrograde movement of the flint thus retaining the flint in a new position each time the lighter is used thus distributing the wear evenly around the wheel.

When it is desired to refill'the reservoir, the lighter is turnedupside-down, thescrew 58 removed, lighter fuel poured in through the opening 46, and the screw replaced tightly.

When it is desired to replace the flint, screws 58 and 8l, the spring 83, tip 8|, the flint 80 and the extra flint 6| are removed. Then the new flint 6|, the tip 8|, the spring 83 and the screws 8l and 58 are vreplaced in the order stated to the position of Fig. 1.

To replace a worn sparking wheel it is only necessary to remove the screws 30 and 40 and the barrel top |8 thus exposing the ends of the shaft allowing the shaft to be pushed out. Then a new wheel and the collars I9 may be placed between the sides of the body in alinement with the openings, after -which the shaft, then the barrel top and the screws 30 and 40 are placed in the order named.

The invention claimed is:

1.` A pistol simulating cigarette and cigar lighter comprising a hollow body having a barrel and a handle having an opening in its upper rear part; the body having an upper cut-out over the interior of the handle to the rear of the upper part of the barrel; a barrel top of substantially inverted U-shaped cross-section disposed over the top and sides of the barrel and body and slightly projecting at its front and rear ends and having a cut-out substantially registered with the cut-out of the body; a back plate secured in the rear end of the top across the body and closing said opening at the rear of the handle; a screw in the back plate engaging under the rear of the upper part of the body to hold the rear of the top in place; a nose plate secured within the projecting end of the barrel top at the front end of the barrel and provided with an outwardly flanged opening coaxial with the barrel and an aperture below the opening; a. trigger guard having a lower rear downturned end secured to the lower part of the front of the handle and an upturned front end havingv an aperture registered with the aperture of the nose plate; a screw in sides of the handle and having just over the ressaid apertures; and a flint, a, spark wheel and a wick beneath the cut-outs 2. A lighter comprising a hollow body yin the vshape of an 'automatic pistol having an upper cut-out and a handle; an upstanding reservoir having in the body under the cut-out an upstanding tubular wick holder; a holder plate .secured in said handle having its edges secured to the ervoir an upper approximately horizontal part having an opening receiving the wick holder; the rear part of said horizontal part being folded upon itself to form a rear projection at the upper part of the reservoir provided with an upper opening, the holder plate having an upright part secured against the rear face of the reservoir and having near the bottom of the .handle a rearwardly turned ear having a large opening under said upper opening; a flint tube secured in said upper and large openings and extending nearly as high as the wick holder and nearly to said bottom plate and having internal threads at the lower end; a screw removably received 1n said in the flint tube; means in the flint tube urging theufiint against the wheel; said screw loosely passing an opening in the bottom part of the handle and engaging said means, whereby the rlint may be replaced when said screw is removed.

3. A lighter comprising a hollowfbody simulating a pistol having a barrel an upper eut-out and a slot at the lower rear part of the lbarrel, and shaft openings inthe body sides below the cutout; a barrel top secured over the barrel and having sides and a cut-out substantially registered with the cut-out of the body; a shaft across the body in said openings held in place by said sides; a spark wheel on the shaft; a wick forward of y the wheel in thebody beneath the cut-out; an

elongated extinguisher cover pivoted at its rear in the cut-out over the wick and wheel; a catch pin across the forward'part of the cover; means lor yieldably opening the cover; a trigger shaft mounted across the body above said slot; a trigger intermediately pivoted on said shaft and projecting through` said slot and having at the upper end a, rearwardly open recess and a cam extending upwardly and forwardly from the recess, the recess receiving the catch pin; an anchor pin across the forward upper part of the side of the barrel; a helical spring tensioned between the trigger lever below the shaft and said anchor pin to draw the lower arm of the trigger against the end of the slot, the slot being located to position the cam in position to be engaged and pushed by said catch pin when the extinguisher cover is closed to allow the catch pin to snap into said recess under the hook.

4. A lighter comprising Ia pistol simulating hollow body having a handle, a barrel, and an upper elongated cut-out at the rear of the barrel; shaft openings in the sides of the handle under the rear of the cut-out; a releasable shaft in said openings; a barrel top of substantially inverted-U-shapcd cross section releasably secured over the barrel and handle and having sides engaging the sides of the body and engageable with the ends of the shaft, the top having a cut-out substantially registered with the cut-out of the body; a reservoir beneath said cut-out having an upper tubular wick holder; a holder plate secured in said body and secured to the side walls thereof and having an opening receiving the wick holder and having upper and lower openings .at the rear of the reservoir; a mnt tube in said upper and lower openings; Aa. spark wheel rotatable on the shaft within the bo'dy over the flint tube and having ratchet teeth; a flint in the tube pressed against the lower part of the wheel; an elongated extinguisher cover in the cut-out of the body and having sides having rear openings pivotally received on the shaft; a spring for urging the extinguisher cover to upright position; releasable means for holding the extinguisher cover in closed position; and a ratchet spring carried by the -cover and engaging the ratchet teeth.

5. A lighter comprising a pistol simulating hollow body having a handle, a barrel and an upper elongated cut-out at the rear of the barrel; shaft openings in the sides of the handle under the rear of the cut-out; a releasable shaft in saidopenings; a barrel top of substantially out of the body; a reservoir beneath said cut-` out and secured in the handle; a tubular wick holder mounted in and through the reservoir top;

a holder plate having its side edges secured to` the side walls of said handle and having an opening receiving thewick holder and a rear projection at the rear of the upper part of the reservoir provided with an upper opening, and said plate 'for urging the extinguisher cover to .lpright position; 'releasable means for holding the extinguisher cover in closed position; and a ratchet spring carried -by the cover and engaging the ratchet teeth.

LEWIS A. GENDLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED-STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,746,949 Kollstede ,Feb. 11, 1930 2,454,501 Camm Nov. 23, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 163,336 Switzerland Aug. 15, 1933 507,854 France July 7, 1920 567,965 Great Britain Mar. 9, 1945 614,479 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1948 875,934 France July 13, 1942 

